


The House Don't Fall When the Bones are Good

by Runic



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Adoption, Children, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runic
Summary: Over the years, their family grows. Whether related by blood or bond, Claude and Byleth love all their children. They will ensure that the new world they have fought so hard for will have a place for each and every one of them.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 22
Kudos: 97





	1. Kiana

**Author's Note:**

> I said I was going to post a fun story with Hilda next, but today has royal taken me through the ringer. Someone close to me is about to lose her daughter, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. I really don't have the heart to do anything besides fluff at the moment. Basically, this story is how I am coping at the moment, as will be worked on whenever I become too overwhelmed with the situation and need something softer in my life.

_ Kiana is the first.  _

Byleth sighs softly, leaning back into his touch as Claude’s hands glide over her shoulders. He begins to knead her shoulders, massaging the aches and knots from her tense muscles. Byleth leans her head back, silently asking for a kiss. He chuckles and dips his head, pressing his lips to hers. 

“How are you feeling, my love?” Claude asks.

Byleth sighs again, one hand absentmindedly caressing her swollen stomach. “I wish everyone besides you would stop asking me that question. I’m pregnant, not dying.”

Claude laughs again, moving to sit beside her on the lounge. “They’re just concerned, By.” He places his hand over hers, his heart beating rapidly as he feels their baby move. “This pregnancy has been hard on you.”

Byleth groans, curling into his side. She huffs loudly as she tries to position herself comfortably, her stomach seemingly making it impossible. “You don’t need to tell me that. I’m still more than capable of doing my job, yet Seteth insists on taking on more of my duties.” She sinks down fully, resting her head in his lap. Claude picks up the strands of her hair, lazily weaving them together in a braid. “I just hate not being able to do anything.”

“I would tell you to enjoy the break, but I know that’s not you.”

Byleth scoffs her agreement, but melts easily enough as Claude runs his fingers through her hair. “I just want this baby out of me already. I’m tired of being pregnant, I want the next part now.” She turns her head so she can meet his gaze. The stubborn annoyance slowly melts into something much more gentle. She reaches for his hand, leaving her hair only half braided, and intertwines their fingers together. “You’re ready to be a father.”

“You think so?” Claude asks easily. He thought the idea would scare him more, but instead there is more excitement than anything else. Byleth is right. He very much wants to hold his child, to show them the world he and Byleth have worked so hard to create. He wants to dive right into this completely new experience.

Byleth hums her answer, bringing his hand to her lips to kiss each knuckle. It makes his heart pound, the quiet moment written forever in his memories. “I’m not ready,” she whispers. “I’m going to be relying on you.”

“Oh, I disagree,” Claude contradicts, “but I’ll be here all the same. I’m not about to leave your side anytime soon, my love.”

Byleth does not answer, simply continues to hold onto his hand. Together they look out onto the night sky, silently watching the stars wheel overhead. Eventually Byleth’s breathing evens out, and Claude carries her to bed, tucking her in tightly for the night.

He slips in beside her, his hand once more brushing against her stomach. Byleth mutters unhappily as the baby kicks against his hand, but remains asleep. Claude feels like a grinning fool, unable to contain his happiness. 

He can’t wait.

/

“Where is she?”

Byleth’s tired voice breaks Claude out of his reverie. He smiles at her, big and broad and foolish, but no one could blame him for that right now. “She’s right here, By,” he whispers back, careful not to wake the sleeping babe in his arms.

Byleth winces as she pushes herself up, her body still sore from the difficult labor she had finished with only hours before. Despite tradition, Claude had slipped into the room after a few hours into the ordeal, unable to bare having even a door between them through the birth. Marianne knew him well enough that she did not try to remove him, and so Claude ended up being the first person to hold his child as soon as his former classmate had cleaned her. He had only let her go for a few moments so Byleth could hold her, before exhaustion overtook his wife.

But she reaches for their daughter, and for a moment Claude flinches away, not wanting to give her up. It is a foolish reaction, and he knows it, carefully placing the newborn in her arms. Byleth throws him a knowing look, but her attention is soon overtaken by their child.

Claude cannot blame her. He had done the exact same thing. And yet there is a sudden flare of jealousy as her attention moves from him, something he is quick to quash as completely unreasonable. He knows there is a piece of him that very much craves Byleth’s attention over all else, and he reluctantly realizes the same will happen with their daughter.

As if sensing her mother’s presence, their daughter smacks her little lips together as she opens her eyes. Byleth’s own go wide, her head snapping up to meet his gaze. “She’s blind?”

Claude leans over, gazing at those haunting white orbs. “It seems so,” he answers heavily. “Marianne ran a few tests, but she does not seem hopefully there is much that can be done for her.”

Byleth is silent, her eyes going back to their daughter. Little arms and legs flail as she begins to grow restless, but Byleth removes her robe enough to expose one heavy breast, guiding their daughter to eat. Her face lights up when their daughter latches on and begins to suckle.

“It changes nothing,” Byleth says softly. It starts out strong, but quickly seeps into something overwhelmed with love and light. “I love her all the same.”

Claude leans over and kisses the top of Byleth’s head, unable to tear his eyes away from the lovely sight before him. “She will be well loved, By,” he assures her. “We’ll make sure of that.” He slides onto the bed, and Byleth easily transfers her weight from the obscene amount of pillows behind her into his arms, relaxing as Claude wraps his arms around her waist and rests his chin on her shoulder. “Are you happy, By?”

“More than I ever thought I could be.”


	2. Shahkam and Sabine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude and Byleth deal with the aftermath of an assassination attempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter to cope. The worst happened. Please excuse me while I use some Claudeleth family to give me something nice in my life right now.

_ Shahkam and Sabine are next.  _

Claude paces back and forth like a caged animal, wearing a path along the marble tile. Kiana follows his progress, little head tilting to the side as Claude's shoes scuff against the ground. Her white eyes stare straight ahead, chubby cheeks turned down in a frown that already carries so much of her mother. She is silent through long hours of her father's worry, listening contentedly as he murmurs schemes to himself only to discard them seconds later. 

His breath catches in his throat as the door to their chambers opens. It seems almost unbelievable that she is standing before him after everything that happened. 

Byleth lifts her head and their eyes meet. The breath he held rushes free in a sigh of pure relief. Claude is halfway across the room before he realizes that Byleth's hands are occupied, holding onto two urchin children. His eyes flicker back to hers, asking a silent question. There is a harshness in Byleth's meeting gaze that has Claude softening. He wants more than anything to pull her into his arms, but he can see she is fine. There will be time for that later, tonight when they can fall onto their sheets and he can whisper words of praise and love uninterrupted against her skin. 

"Hey," he greets softly, addressing the two children. He squats down to be at eye level with them.

There is a boy, no more than three, who looks at Claude with wide eyes. He has the majority of his hand in his mouth, sucking harder the wider his eyes get. He takes in the grandeur of the palace and the king before him with the open wonder and innocence only a child could muster without seeming insincere. 

The girl, however, has loathing and anger radiating from her so fiercely Claude does a poor job of hiding his shock when their eyes meet. She cannot be more than eight, and yet she carries herself with a weight too heavy even for those much older than her. 

"Hey," Claude repeats. "I'm Claude."

The girl lurches forward, hissing like a cat as she lashes out. Byleth's strong grip keeps her from actually reaching him, but he still stands back up, starting as Byleth prevents the girl from kicking him. Curses fall from her lips, calling him every filthy name in the book and then some. He has heard it all before, heard them in that exact order only that morning. 

Claude looks closer, sucking in another breath as he recognizes proud cheekbones and stormy grey eyes. Her brother, or so Claude assumes, for there is enough of a resemblance for therm to be related, begins to whimper, brown eyes filling with tears. 

"Enough of that," Byleth says, somehow sounding gentle and firm at the same time. It is the voice she uses wherever she is called upon for the duties of Archbishop, despite never formally taking the title. 

Three nursemaids encircle the children, two dragging the girl away while whispering gentle words. She still curses him with tears streaming down her cheeks. The third maid picks up the little boy, shushing him as she rubs his back. "We'll get them bathed and fed," she assures Byleth.

His wife nods before adding, "Arrange a room for them in the nursery. Do not separate them. "

The maid's eyes go wide for a brief moment, but she quickly bows her head. "As you command, my queen." 

By housing them in the royal nursery, Byleth was essential declaring her intention to adopt the children. Not that Claude minds, he trusts his wife completely, but it only raises further questions. His tongue flicks at the back of his teeth as he works to keep his mouth shut, knowing that the whole story will come out on its own soon enough.

Byleth's shoulders slump when the door closes behind her. Their lips meet in a brief kiss, but a questioning noise from Kiana has them breaking apart. Byleth strides across the room with the grace she displays so easily on the battlefield. When her daughter holds her arms out, patiently waiting to be picked up, Byleth is quick to scoop her up.

Claude is slower, the adrenaline in his system diluting with the sight of the two people he cares about most before him. He wraps his arms around his wife, kissing Kiana’s forehead. Her tiny nose scrunches at the unfamiliar scent of dirty and sweat clinging to Byleth, but her little hands map out her mother’s face, and she seems to settle.

“What happened, By?” he asks, turning his head to kiss her cheek. He taste dirt beneath his lips, but he does not care.

Byleth squeezes Kiana a bit tighter, leaning back into her husband’s embrace. “She used her own children to lure me away from you,” she finally says, her voice quivering with barely controlled rage. “You could have died because I let myself get complacent.  _ They  _ could have died because of her greed.” Byleth pauses, tears of frustration gathering in her eyes. Claude is quick to swipe his thumb against her cheek, brushing away the tear that falls. Byleth takes a deep breath, closing her eyes as she simply pauses, a moment later breathing out her anger. He feels the tension leave her body and presses her closer.

“I didn’t die, Byleth,” Claude assures her, whispering his words straight into ear. She leans toward him, seeking out the feel of his breath against her skin. “I’m right here.”

She wants to protest, Claude can tell by the way she purses her lips, but Byleth decides not to argue. Not now, not when their family is together. “What happened to you?”

Claude sighs, his arms dropping to her waist. “She waited until her children had dragged you off, and then approached me. I was meeting with so many people, she seemed like a normal well wisher. But as soon as I shook her hand she suddenly had a dagger, I don’t know where she produced it from.”

Byleth turns in his arms, sharp eyes looking him over. Claude leans his head back, showing her the pink line of flesh recently healed. “It wasn’t deep,” he assures her. “I’ve got quick reflexes, By.” He kisses her until her lips relent under him, kissing back with a desperate desire to remind herself he is there, alive and well. Claude pulls away with a sigh, resting his forehead against Byleth’s. “I had my own dagger out before I could even think about it. She cursed me, called me all the same foul names her daughter did, but…” Claude trails off, remembering the way the assassin’s eyes bulged as his dagger sank into her heart, blood choking off her words as it foamed from her mouth. “There was an explosion in the direction the children took you. I wanted to run after you, but Nader and Judith practically beat me unconscious to drag me back here.”

“She had accomplices,” Byleth murmurs.

Claude nods, because he knows. He has heard whispers, ever since he took the throne, of a small group of rebels who wanted to unseat him. He just did not realize they had grown so bold. “Nader is looking for them now. I cursed him to heaven and back when he insisted I stay here, and that you wouldn’t be with me.”

“It’s smart,” Byleth answers, not sounding happy about it, “not having the royal couple together after an attack. They could have planned something else.”

Claude pouts, knowing it is true, and the best thing they could have done, but it does not make him any more happy about it. “What are you going to do about the children?”

“I don’t know,” Byleth whispers, kissing Kiana’s cheek. Her little face frowns, pouting at her mother. It makes Claude smile every time Kiana receives a kiss, reminding him of a disgruntled cat. “But I won’t let them be used as pawns again.”

/

Claude wakes late into the night, frowning when he reaches out for Byleth only to find her side of the bed empty. Her scent still clings to the now cool sheets, but he cannot find her anywhere in their chambers. Not that he expects to. Claude knows exactly where she is.

Guards bow their heads to him as he passes, walking the marble halls in only a pair of loose pants. There is tension in the air, and he knows Nader has given every soldier under his command harsh reprimands for their failure at the festival. Claude nods slightly in acknowledgement, wanting to reassure those who serve him, but he has somewhere to be and he will not be delayed.

Sure enough, when Claude reaches the nursery he hears soft sobs coming through the open door. Just audible beneath them are Byleth’s quiet words of assurance. 

“Why?” the young girl chokes out. Claude watches as she tries to roll away from Byleth’s touch, only to lean back into his wife’s warmth a moment later. She is curled up on a soft bed, her brother content at her back.

“Because I do not blame you for this,” Byleth answers simply. “And I will not leave you to be abandoned on the streets.”

“But we would have killed you!”

“Would you?” Byleth counters. “Were you going to stab me? Force poison down my throat?”

“N-no,” the girl chokes out with another cry. “But the explosion-” She sobs again, curling up almost all the way into Byleth’s lap.

“Ah.” Byleth shifts, creating a cradle with her legs. She allows the girl to move, curling up blanket and all into the space Byleth has created. Despite the fact that Byleth is a stranger, one her mother obviously held animosity towards, the girl is so desperate for some form of comfort that she is willing to accept what Byleth is offering. “And why didn’t you take me to it?”

The girl curls in on herself, burying her face against Byleth’s stomach. Byleth leaves her there, not moving so as not to overwhelm the girl. “Because Shahkam would have gotten hurt.”

So that is the boy’s name. Claude makes a note of it, tucking it away for later.

Byleth’s face, illuminated by moonlight, softens. “You care deeply about your brother.”

The girl nods against her, voice muffled when she answered. “I take care of him. I thought this one time she would be proud of us.”

“I’m not going to separate you,” Byleth promises. “I want you to rest. Take as much time as you want to get used to this life. We’ll take care of you.”

The girl sobs again, loud enough this time that her brother moves in his sleep. But the boy is quick to calm once more, bringing his fist back up to his mouth. “Please,” the girl pleads, “please, I can’t be in the same house as him.”

Claude stiffens, knowing exactly who she is indicating.

“He is a good man,” Byleth is quick to reprimand gently. 

But she is again rebuffed. “No, no,” the girl continues to repeat. “She was not the best mother, but she was still  _ my _ mother, and  _ he  _ killed her. How can I live under the same roof as him?”

/

“You did not stay,” Byleth says as she rejoins him back in their bed. She is quick to crawl into his arms, kissing his chin. Her fingers scratch at his beard as she settles against him. There is a sense of peace around her that has not been there since the assassination attempt.

“You seemed to have everything handled.” Claude tilts his head down, capturing her lips in a kiss. She meets him with greed, surprising Claude as she moans against him. Byleth’s leg slips between his own, her knee rubbing between his thighs.

“Well, that’s not what I was expecting,” Claude says when he pulls back.

Byleth’s eyes gleam with starlight as she stares up at him, the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. “I talked to Judith on my way back. She and Nader are going to take Sabine and Shahkam in. But Kiana actually smiled when Shankam played with her. That little boy made her laugh, Claude. I liked the feeling of the nursery being full. I want to keep that.”

“And you want to get started on that right now?”

Byleth kisses him again, her answer a greedy yes. Her fingers grip his arms, and as she rolls she pulls Claude on top of her. He grins against her lips. If Byleth has her way, he has a feeling they will more than fill the nursery. The barest beginnings of an expansion design come to his mind, but Byleth has much more important things for him to focus on right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving you all with something a bit more happy there at the end. Hope you enjoyed it.

**Author's Note:**

> I wish you all the best, and here's to hoping for joy and light. Go hug someone and tell them you love them.


End file.
